Teppei Teranishi.

How are you adjusting to living back in California?

It’s been pretty easy overall because Jenna and I grew up here. When we were living in Washington, we would still come and visit twice a year for extended periods of time so the kids were already super familiar with it. Getting used to being in a more urban environment again was a bit harsh, but after a couple of years of renting in a suburban neighborhood, we bought a house out in the canyons of Orange County and have been happy out here. It’s pretty much a perfect medium between what we had on Vashon and regular suburbia—more space, land, nature. Even the 15 minute drive out into the canyons is akin to the ferry ride we had to get on/off the island. You start to feel a psychological and physical break from the rest of the world as you’re driving in.

Do you have family nearby?

Yeah, Jenna’s family is close as well as a lot of our friends we grew up with. My dad lived with us for a bit in Vashon and again for a hot minute when we moved to California, but he’s been back in Japan now for a couple of years.

You guys released two new Thrice records after a long hiatus and have been touring often again, but in the meantime you’re working on leather goods here at home. Do you have a hard time switching back and forth between the two creative endeavors?

I actually do find it difficult. It’s mostly that playing in a band inevitably means touring and traveling a lot, and doing this on my own means I don’t have anyone to keep the shop running while I’m away. Not just making and designing, but even just simple things like shipping – basic day to day stuff that goes into running a business like this has to be put on pause every time I’m away. It’s a lot of on/off so it’s hard for me to gain any sort of momentum, both creatively and business-wise. I have to take half a step backwards every time I leave, come back, and find my groove again. I still have a passion for designing, making and creating and that’s what keeps me going. I still need an outlet for all the crap that floats around in my brain.

I know very little about the music industry, but I do know that it’s a totally different beast now in that you can’t really make money selling records anymore.  Is touring the only way?

That’s the toughest thing, you know?  The Beatles stopped touring after not being together for too long and they went on to have very successful careers beyond touring. Thats not even a remote possibility anymore unless you’re mega huge. Maybe. Especially for a band our size, the only way to keep it sustainable is to keep playing shows.

Touring is a Catch-22 because we need to do it to sustain ourselves, but it’s exactly what was also killing it for us. It’s a delicate balance but I think we’re finding it now. We didn’t go on hiatus for that long, you know, it was only like 3 years. We honestly had no idea when we called the hiatus though. We didn’t know if it would be two years, ten years, or forever. So I think that once we all regrouped, we were all grateful for the mental space and time to think that we finally got during our downtime because we came back into the band super psyched and with newfound energy.

Breaking up tours is not economically efficient. Before the hiatus, it would’ve been a really hard decision for us to make – but the break allowed us to put some parameters on ourselves so we wouldn’t feel the strain like we did before.

Were there other options on the table?

The most feasible job would have been music production. I had recorded some of Thrice’s music, and I had people hitting me up to see if I would engineer and produce a record,  but I wanted to take the opportunity to explore something outside of music. I have so many interests outside of music, but coming straight out of high school and playing in a band for a job, I never had a chance to explore any of them. I don’t mean for this to sound like a complaint, either;  I just wanted it to be an opportunity to try something else.  Thats why I started doing Teranishi Studio.  I gave myself a year; I said that if it seamed feasible at that point than I would keep going, but if not, I’d find something else.

Who was buying your leather goods at first? Thrice fans?

Very few of them, if any at all in the beginning. I was super hush about the entire project and I didn’t want the worlds to cross at all. I was weird about it back then, but I don’t care about it anymore. I think whenever you start something, you’re pretty insecure about it and I didn’t want to feel like people were just buying it because I was in Thrice. I wanted the work to stand on its own.

You had a separate studio and employees in Vashon, and as a result of that you were able to crank through more product. But being here and working alone is a choice. Have you considered expanding Teranishi Studio again?

No, it’s too much. The thought of trying to do what I was doing on Vashon Island while I have other things happening – Thrice and otherwise – sounds insane. Before, it was all consuming.  I suppose I could hire out more and take a step back, but I don’t want to do that. I still have people come and help me out occasionally, but overall this project is super tied to me and I want to make almost everything that comes out.

There’s definitely a minimalistic look to your work – nothing’s there that doesn’t need to be there. Where does that come from?

Maybe a little bit of it comes from my Japanese heritage; I just really like simple things. Maybe I’m just lazy. Even with my guitar rig: there was a time where I got really into effects pedals, and now there are certain songs that I can’t play without them. But if I had it my way, I would just plug my guitar straight into the amp and play.

How much were you touring in peak mode?

I’d say 8 months a year.

Which of your kids have you seen the least because of that?

Miles, our firstborn. I missed a lot.  We were still touring a lot when he was a baby.  I left on a tour when he was 3 months old. I came back and he was a totally different baby.

Did you feel guilt? It’s a weird dynamic, because you have to provide for your family.

I hated it and I was super bummed to leave every time. Especially with your first kid, you’re so in it. But I’m not sure if it was guilt, because you know you have to do what you have to do to provide, and if you have that mindset it helps.  It’s rough, though. The people that tour full time – tour managers and tech – they are always touring, and I have no idea how they do that. I’m thankful for my crew, who are a huge blessing to me. Having them is way better than being alone;  I couldn’t do it without them. It’s not all peachy but I’ve never taken playing music and touring for granted. I’m always thankful,  and I love to travel and see other cultures. Except, of course, you wish your family is there. I’ll be in Europe and I’ll see something cool and I’ll think, “Man, I wish Jenna was here; she would like that.”

So where does Teranishi Studio stand today? Is it purely a creative outlet now that Thrice is taking up more of your time?

I would say the split is 75% Thrice and 25% Teranishi. I still need to make up that little bit financially, so Teranishi is still important on the financial side.  It’s not purely a creative outlet; it would really take all pressure off if it was. I still need to make it happen though.  Now that I’m in the garage here instead of a separate workshop, I can be with the family all the time – which is a blessing and a curse. Sometimes I don’t get any work done but that’s ok.

What’s something you are trying to get better at professionally or personally?

I’ve been feeling the need to get rid of more things. I’m working on getting better at needing less.  My goal this year is not to attain anything unless I really need it.

How does that play in with being a father?

Kids are kids, you gotta let them live. Our kids are pretty freaking spoiled, though – they have everything they could ever want. But thats all on the grandparents. We don’t buy our kids anything – their grandparents spoil them.